|
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,357
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,357 |
Anyone use slugs to hunt with, I have a weekend hunt planned on a Corp of engineer tract that require slugs only. Taking the 300 gr ftx hornady slugs. Sited the gun in 2 inches high at 50yds, I should be good for 150-175 yd shot if needed. I’ve never killed anything with slugs so I’ll be new to this.
Fück Joe byron
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 13
New Member
|
New Member
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 13 |
Being in a slug state all but 2 of my gun kills have been with either a 20 gauge or 12 gauge sabot slug. Taken a doe a piece with a muzzleloader and my 450 bushmaster. Honestly 175 yards is stretching it. They drop like rocks. I try to stay off the shoulder, never had a long or bad blood trail with a slug. Good luck!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 14,025 Likes: 7
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 14,025 Likes: 7 |
I used to. The local military base in the 90's was shotgun only. That changed when the Army left and it became a National Guard base. But in the 90's we didn't have these fancy sabots and rifled bores were uncommon. It was Foster slugs and smoothbores. And it worked
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,260 Likes: 9
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,260 Likes: 9 |
I killed a yearling moose once at about 35 yards, running, with a 12 slug. Single bead Win 1200. Wing shooting, so to speak, but a bit higher than planned. I was rushed... Perfectly centered the large artery just under the backbone. He ran about 100 yards and tipped over in mid-stride, all bled out. Ate the last (lost in freezer) roast 2 years later- still better than the one I'd killed that year. But he had been perfectly aged, too, due to circumstances out in the remote field. Caught out in the field, working, the 1200 was all I had, and I bought the only two 5-packs of slugs the village store (20 miles down river) had. I used the first 5 pack to check sights/ drop. I think I still have the other 4 slug loads 40 years later....
Last edited by las; 01/12/24.
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 4,209 Likes: 13
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 4,209 Likes: 13 |
Check the drop. Those big slow bullets drop like a rock once past 100 yards. They do work well though.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,260 Likes: 9
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,260 Likes: 9 |
Check the drop. Those big slow bullets drop like a rock once past 100 yards. They do work well though. True- IIRC, from 25 to 150 yards on my check shoot- there was a couple feet... but every damned one nailed that 6" root-wad river-bank, washed out spruce tree I was shooting at. I was confident to 150. Plus, mooses are big!
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,974 Likes: 7
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,974 Likes: 7 |
The quickest way for the average hunter to develop a flinch is to sit down at a bench with a couple boxes of 12ga Fosters and "sight in".
I was forced to use them for years. Finally got smart and went to a 20 out of a semi. Better, but still sucks. Now a days I'd rather go to the wife's family reunion than shoot phugging slugs.
They say everything happens for a reason. For me that reason is usually because I've made some bad decisions that I need to pay for.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 4,209 Likes: 13
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 4,209 Likes: 13 |
The quickest way for the average hunter to develop a flinch is to sit down at a bench with a couple boxes of 12ga Fosters and "sight in".
I was forced to use them for years. Finally got smart and went to a 20 out of a semi. Better, but still sucks. Now a days I'd rather go to the wife's family reunion than shoot phugging slugs. If you have to use slugs and are gonna hunt that area for a while the Savage 220 in 20 gauge with a decent scope is the best thing going b
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,460
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,460 |
We used to have to use them in Iowa, hated them, especially from a smooth bore. Tried the 20 gauge Savage bolts with sabot slugs and they were better but still not optimal. Much better now that we can use any cartridge over .35 caliber.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 4,620 Likes: 13
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 4,620 Likes: 13 |
Hornady SSTs with the FTX slug are good loads, IF your gun shoots them well. Using Hornady SSTs, my Savage 212 will hold a 1" group at 100 yards. Out of my Ithaca M37 with a rifled barrel, it will barely hold a 10" group at 100 yards. Ive never shot any other brand of slug that had such a wide range of accuracy from different guns. If you think you are going to get 100 yard shots, I would HIGHLY recommend you shoot that gun at 100 yards and see what you get, and not just rely on being 2" high at 50 yards.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 7,903 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 7,903 Likes: 2 |
Check the drop. Those big slow bullets drop like a rock once past 100 yards. They do work well though. Yeah, no kidding. I think that my slugs drop at least a foot from 100 to 150. I've been using Breneke Magnum Crush 12ga 1 1/2 oz. 1500fps.
"Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 37
Campfire Greenhorn
|
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 37 |
With a slug gun, a rifled barrel is a necessity. Scope, red dot or irons depending on your eyes. Irons should be good rifle type irons, not beads. I wouldn’t shoot much past 125-150 with a scope, 75-100 with irons/red dot. Those slugs drop like a rock past 100 yds. The wind can mess with them past 75yds or so, so pay attention to that.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3,787 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3,787 Likes: 2 |
. . . If you think you are going to get 100 yard shots, I would HIGHLY recommend you shoot that gun at 100 yards and see what you get, and not just rely on being 2" high at 50 yards. EVERYBODY should do that every time for everything, but they seldom do. These days they get online and read that they need to sight in so-and-so right there at 25 yards, and that'll be perfect for so-and-so at 300 yards, never having fired past 100 to see what's what
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,377 Likes: 5
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,377 Likes: 5 |
The quickest way for the average hunter to develop a flinch is to sit down at a bench with a couple boxes of 12ga Fosters and "sight in".
I was forced to use them for years. Finally got smart and went to a 20 out of a semi. Better, but still sucks. Now a days I'd rather go to the wife's family reunion than shoot phugging slugs. One of the best lines I've heard
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,262 Likes: 6
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,262 Likes: 6 |
I've shot a couple of whitetail does with the Federal 328 grain lead sabot slugs and the old Winchester BRI sabot slugs.
They all have a pretty arching trajectory, so with a 2" high zero at 100 yards, you probably want to check the POI at 50 yards in case you get a closer shot. The Federals are soft lead, so I'd aim for the lungs. The BRIs were a lot harder, so they might have been successful at breaking bone, but would still put a big hole through the lungs.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,839 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,839 Likes: 3 |
Haven’t had to use slugs for years, for which I’m grateful. My last couple of Ithaca slug guns are in my sons’ hands now and I don’t think they really have any use for them.
The Model 37 Ithaca “Deerslayer” smooth bores with rifle sights always seemed to throw a slug pretty well, certainly adequate for most in-the-woods deer hunting. I always thought there might be something in the fundamental design of that model that lends itself toward shooting slugs relatively accurately. Even the ones with modified and full choke “bird” barrels seemed to shoot slugs better than most smooth bore shotgun designs.
Mathew 22: 37-39
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,300 Likes: 11
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,300 Likes: 11 |
When I was stationed in VA I hunted a lot of shotgun only places. Slugs will knock the hell out of a deer but as others have already pointed out they are not long range. Where I hunted with them 75 yards was as far as I could expect to shoot and at that range a slug is deadly
You get out of life what you are willing to accept. If you ain't happy, do something about it!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,654 Likes: 2
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,654 Likes: 2 |
Used to be all we could use in Ohio was Foster slugs. People killed tons of deer with them. Me and my pals (pards 😂) included. Then they allowed certain handgun calibers (.357, 41, 44, .45 Colt). Next they allowed rifles barrels and sabot slugs. This was really a step up. I started with a cantilever barrel for my old Mossberg 500. Lightfield slugs shot great, but Federal Premium Barnes Expanders shot even better. I bought an H&R trophy slugster single shot and put a Simmons 4x shotgun scope on it and used it until Ohio started allowing straight walled cartridge rifles. Now it’s 350 Legend out to 200 yards. Take your rifled shotgun with the XTP slugs and go slay some deer. You won’t be disappointed out to 150 yards.
Ron
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Orwell
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,518
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,518 |
when i was 12yo, smoothbore with a bead, i had a 20ga Savage pump gun and Remington slugs (i think Brenneke). i could hit a coffee can lid at 75 yards. i didn't shoot a deer either. next year it was borrowed Winchester m94 in 32 Special.
i always wondered what the 20ga does to deer?
Last edited by tdoyka; 01/12/24.
"Russia sucks." ---- Me, US Army (retired) 12B & 51B
Russian Admiral said, after the Moskva sank, "we have the world's worst navy but we aren't as bad as our army".
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 13,535 Likes: 4
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 13,535 Likes: 4 |
For the same reasons I have been shooting more than a few slugs. Sighted in a smoothbore using Winchester 1oz rifled slugs and a 50 yards they shot pretty tight but at 75 yards 5-6 inches was the norm. Put together two rifled barrel 12 gauge slug guns and both shoot plenty fine out to 125 yards using either the Monoflex all copper or the SST loads from Hornady. They do not hit to the same point of aim sadly.I like to hunt so I use them but I also use my much nicer to shoot muzzleloaders more. Use the shotguns when rain or hunting from boats.
Dog I rescued in January
|
|
|
|
320 members (222Sako, 1Longbow, 160user, 1badf350, 06hunter59, 12344mag, 26 invisible),
10,111
guests, and
1,050
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,195,340
Posts18,546,412
Members74,060
|
Most Online21,066 May 26th, 2024
|
|
|
|